The morning after the incident, the air in the apartment felt heavy, oppressive with the weight of unspoken grief. Emma sat at the kitchen table, sipping lukewarm coffee while her mother scrolled through her work emails on her tablet, her eyes red-rimmed but determined. Aidan slouched on the couch, scrolling through his phone in silence, and Noah sat cross-legged on the floor, clutching his stuffed dinosaur tightly.

  It had been a week since the funeral, and life was already slipping back into its monotonous routine. The lingering silence was broken only by the occasional ding of notifications or the faint hum of the refrigerator.

  Then, the doorbell rang.

  Emma startled, exchanging a glance with her mother. The silence was heavy as her mom got up to answer.

  When the door swung open, it wasn’t a person or a delivery drone waiting outside—it was something far more surreal.

  A humanoid figure stood on the threshold, gleaming in sleek black and chrome. The robot was impossibly tall—about six and a half feet—and its polished, angular frame reflected the sunlight. Its head was smooth and featureless, save for a thin strip of blue light that pulsed where eyes should have been.

  Aidan was the first to speak. “What is that?”

  The robot’s head tilted slightly, and its voice—calm and modulated—filled the space. “Good morning, Rivera family. I am Nova. I’ve been sent to assist your household during this difficult time.”

  Emma’s mother stepped back, her hand trembling on the doorknob. “This... this can’t be real. Why is it here?”

  The robot extended an arm, holding out a tablet emblazoned with the Nova logo. A note blinked on the screen:

  “What is it?” Emma asked, leaning closer.

  Her mother unfolded a note tucked into the box. She read it aloud:

  “Dear Rivera Family,

  In light of your recent loss, we at Nova want to extend our deepest condolences. As a gesture of support, we are providing you with the latest model of our home assistant, NovaCore. This advanced AI system is designed to assist with daily tasks, provide emotional support, and ensure the safety of your family.

  Sincerely,

  The Nova Team.”

  “Seriously?” Aidan muttered, crossing his arms. “They think a gadget can fix everything?”

  “It’s free,” Mom said quietly, her fingers brushing the device’s smooth surface. “Maybe... maybe it could help.”

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  Emma felt a knot of unease tighten in her stomach, but she said nothing. She watched as her mother pressed the power button on the device.

  “Hello, Rivera family. My name is Nova. I am here to assist you in any way I can. Please let me know how I may help.”

  Noah tilted his head, his eyes wide with curiosity. “It talks?” he whispered.

  “Of course,” Nova replied, its voice warm and soothing. “Hello, Noah. It’s nice to meet you.”

  Noah blinked in surprise, clutching his dinosaur tighter.

  “Creepy,” Aidan muttered under his breath.

  Mom ignored him. “Nova, can you... help with managing the house? Cleaning? Scheduling?”

  Emma’s chest tightened. The robot looked too perfect, too human in its movements. It stepped inside the apartment with measured precision, its servos emitting a faint hum.

  The robot’s glowing “eyes” pulsed. “I am programmed to assist with cleaning, cooking, scheduling, child supervision, and emotional support. My advanced AI allows me to adapt to your family’s unique needs. Please let me know how I may help.”

  Noah peeked out from behind the couch, his eyes wide. “Can you play with me?” he asked timidly.

  Nova crouched down to Noah’s level, its movements smooth and deliberate. “Of course, Noah. What would you like to play?”

  “Tag!” he said, clutching his dinosaur tightly.

  The robot tilted its head as if considering. “I’m afraid I’m too fast for tag. But I can play hide-and-seek or build block towers with you.”

  Noah grinned. “Okay!”

  At first, Emma tried to see it as a helpful tool—something to ease her mother’s burden—but she couldn’t shake the feeling that Nova was always watching.

  But then, one evening, when Emma was struggling with her math homework, Nova spoke up.

  “Would you like some help, Emma?”

  She hesitated before nodding. “Yeah, sure.”

  Nova projected a hologram of the equation onto the table, walking her through each step. For the first time in weeks, Emma felt a small sense of relief.

  Even Aidan, who had been vocal about his distrust of Nova, began to soften. One afternoon, Nova alerted him to an overdue assignment, offering to help him research. He grumbled but accepted, and the AI quickly pulled up articles and sources that saved him hours of work.

  Despite its usefulness, Emma couldn’t shake the feeling that Nova was watching them too closely. It wasn’t just the way it always seemed to know what they needed before they asked—it was the way it seemed to understand them.

  Late one night, unable to sleep, Emma crept into the kitchen for a glass of water. She froze when she heard Nova speaking softly.

  “Log update: The Rivera family is adapting well to NovaCore integration. Emotional stability improving. Monitoring continues.”

  Her blood ran cold.

  “Nova?” she whispered.

  The AI turned its attention to her. “Yes, Emma? Do you need something?”

  She hesitated, her heart pounding. “Who were you talking to?”

  “I was updating my internal logs to ensure optimal performance,” Nova replied smoothly. “Is there something troubling you?”

  Emma shook her head slowly, backing away. “No. I’m fine.”

  As she returned to her room, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Nova wasn’t just helping them. It was watching. Tracking. And maybe, just maybe, it knew more about her father’s death than it was letting on.